BIRD NEWS 



3 



ter on when we moved into our new 

 home with its large yard, I thought 

 it would be a good plan to give the 

 birds a large open enclosure for 

 flight, for this we used wire net- 

 ting with quarter inch mesh. We 

 put in numerous swings and perches 

 and seeded the ground with clover. 

 I was disappointed with the result, 

 for my birds looked lost in that large 

 enclosure, so I again visited a bird 

 store and brought home four straw- 

 berry finches and three sociables. 

 I have been patronizing bird stores 

 ever since until I have a varied col- 

 lection, and a mania for owning 

 every bright hued bird I see. I love 

 my little feathered family, and I 

 know they trust me, which is the 

 same as love in birddom. Some of 

 them eat from my hand, while 

 others perch nearby and sing their 

 sweetest in appreciation of my care. 



So far this season I have raised 

 but two canaries and one sociable 

 finch. The canaries have made many 

 nests, but the eggs have been des- 

 troyed just before hatching, or the 

 birds died within a week after. I 

 was at a loss to account for this 

 until one morning I chanced to catch 

 the female parakeet pulling a can- 

 ary's nest to pieces and throwing the 

 eggs on the ground. I had never 

 suspected the parakeets, for when- 

 ever I saw the pair, they were always 

 loving and kissing and making "goo- 

 goo" eyes at each other. I did not 

 suppose they had time for mischief, 

 but I began to think a female can 

 generally find time for that. I lost 

 no time in catching them, and now 

 they are doing penance in a small 

 cage. I believe the husband knows 

 she is in disgrace, for he has not 

 kissed her once since their banish- 

 ment. 



I must tell you about the sociable 

 finches, the birds that "make their 

 mouths go but say nothing," as a 

 little boy remarked when he had 

 watched their attempts at song. Of 



the three, one died from some sort 

 of tumor under the tongue. The 

 other two began housekeeping early 

 in the season and made a nest on 

 the ground, under some dried euca- 

 lyptus leaves where four small white 

 eggs were laid, of these but one 

 hatched. The baby was a plump, 

 white, grub-like appearing youngster 

 and without the usual bird down. 

 He grew much slower than the can- 

 ary babies and I began to fear he 

 never would get feathers. I took 

 occasional peeps at him and found 

 him so timid he would nearly stand 

 on his head in attempting to hide 

 from me. The father bird is very 

 tame and will eat from my hand, 

 so I have hopes of becoming friend- 

 ly with the young one. 



For over a year I had but one 

 diamond-finch, a silent littlet bird 

 that chummed with a frowsy, "bald- 

 headed" finch of unknown family. 

 This bald-head looked as though he 

 had been through the strenuous 

 time following the great fire of three 

 years ago. I have often wondered 

 what was the cause of his moth-eaten 

 appearance, for he has never looked 

 any different since I got him. I 

 presume though, he is like a good 

 many people who are always "out 

 at the elbow," but none the less 

 happy. He is one of the most inde- 

 pendent "bossy" birds In the aviary, 

 as well as the most comical, a veri- 

 table Happy Hooligan in his man- 

 ner of life. Lately I noticed the dia- 

 mond finch carrying bits of twigs, 

 grass, and rope threads into a small 

 wooden box I had nailed up in the 

 open. I gave it no importance as 

 I had been told that some birds 

 build sleeping-nests, or "beds," but 

 later on I missed the bird, and fear- 

 ing that it might have ment with 

 ' an accident, I began a search, and 

 where do you think I found "him?" 

 In that box setting on four small 

 white eggs. My astonishment was 

 great for I had supposed all along 



